[[Acts 21|<< Acts 21]] | [[Acts|Acts]] | [[Acts 23|Acts 23 >>]] ### Acts 22 1 MEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence _which_ _I_ _make_ now unto you. ^1 2 (And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) ^2 3 I am verily a man _which_ _am_ a Jew, born in Tarsus, _a_ _city_ in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, _and_ taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. ^3 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. ^4 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. ^5 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. ^6 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ^7 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. ^8 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me. ^9 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. ^10 11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. ^11 12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt _there_, ^12 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. ^13 14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. ^14 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. ^15 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. ^16 17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; ^17 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. ^18 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: ^19 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. ^20 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. ^21 22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and _then_ lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a _fellow_ from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. ^22 23 And as they cried out, and cast off _their_ clothes, and threw dust into the air, ^23 24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. ^24 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? ^25 26 When the centurion heard _that_, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. ^26 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. ^27 28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was _free_ born. ^28 29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. ^29 30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from _his_ bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. ^30